Means for fastening or securing in closed position, hand containers, particularly portfolio or courier cases



M. J. BRENNER HAND PARTICULARLY PORTFOLIO OR COURIER CASES Filed Oct. 1, 1964 Dec. 27, 1966 MEANS FOR FASTENING 0R SECURING IN CLOSED POSITION CONTAINERS 701" WIzZ/ZyJBPWZIZQP BY MAX R KRAUS ATTY United States Patent 3,294,135 MEANS FOR FASTENING OR SECURING IN CLOSED POSITION, HAND CONTAINERS, PAlstgCULARLY PORTFOLIO OR COURIER CA Murry J. Brenner, 2924 S. Wabash Ave., Highland Park, 111. 60035 Filed Oct. 1, 1964, Ser. No. 400,840 2 Claims. (Cl. 1501.6)

This invention relates to improvements in the means for fastening or securing in closed position, hand containers, particularly portfolio or courier cases.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a case of the aforementioned characteristic which does not utilize any metal hardware or the like for locking or securing the closure member or cover in a closed position, but which is provided with a flap on the underside of the closure or cover which is adapted to engage a slot in the front wall of the case for securely locking said cover in closed position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a closure means for a case of the foregoing character whereby the closure or cover may be secured in any of a plurality of selected positions to thereby adjust the height of the cover in closing position to compensate for variance in the capacity of the case.

Another object of this invention is to provide a case which is very neat in appearance, simple and inexpensive to produce and which has means permitting the cover to be locked in various closed positions.

I am aware of a case which employs a strap secured and extending across the front of the case which is engaged by a flap member on the underside of the cover. However, such a construction defaces the front wall of the case and has the additional shortcoming in that it does not have the adjustment features of the present invention. With the present invention the front wall of the case is not defaced; it is provided with a plurality of horizontally extending spaced slots into which the flap member is inserted. This preserves the attractive appearance of the front wall of the case and permits the locking of the cover in several adjusted positions.

Other objects Will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portfolio or case which incorporates the invention herein, same being shown in open position.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the closure flap in one of its closed positions.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on lines 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but with the locking flap secured in another closed position, and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on lines 5-5 of FIG. 4.

The case of portfolio has a front wall 10, a rear wall 12, and a cover or closure member 14 which is usually a continuation of the rear wall. It also includes side and bottom walls or gussets 16 and 18, respectively, which are suitably stitched to the front and rear walls to connect same and form a compartment 20 which is open at the top. This is conventional in the art.

The front wall is provided with a pair of spaced horizontally extending slots 22 and 24 which are positioned adjacent the upper edge of the front wall and are located centrally of the length of the front wall of the case. Secured to the rear or the inside of the front wall is a stripof material, generally indicated at 26, which may be a piece of leather or the like. The strip is positioned rearwardly and behind the horizontally extending slots 3,294,135 Patented Dec. 27, 1966 "ice 22 and 24 in the front wall and is secured by vertical lines of stitching 28 adjacent the ends of the strip and by a bottom horizontal line of stitching 30. The top edge thereof remains free or unstitched with respect to the front wall of the case. The strip 26 forms a pocket 32 with the front wall to which it is attached.

A reinforcing strip 34 is secured to the front or lead edge of the closure flap by means of stitching 36 or the like. A locking flap 38 is stitched to the underside and lead edge of the closure member 14 and reinforcing strip by the same line of stitching 36. The locking flap is positioned to rest against the inside wall of the closure or cover member 14 and is parallel thereto and is secured to the closure member only along the lead edge of the closure member. The remaining sides and rear edge of the locking flap are not stitched to the closure member, thus, the open end of the flap faces inwardly and is adapted to be inserted in the slots. The locking flap 38 may be reinforced or may be formed of several plies of leather or the like to give it suflicient body or rigidity for its intended purpose.

The locking flap 38 is adapted to be inserted into either one of the longitudinal slots 22 or 24 for the purpose of locking the closure or cover member 14. When inserted in either of the slots 22 or 24 it will be positioned in the pocket 32 between the front wall 10 and the strip 26, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 to lock the closure or cover in closed position. The locking flap is hidden from view when the case or portfolio is in a closed position.

When the case is filled with papers or the like in which the width of the compartment 20 is not filled to capacity the locking flap 38 may be inserted in the lower horizontal slot 24, as shown in FIG. 4, to keep the cover in closed position. However, should the compartment 20 be filled to its extended capacity or should it be desired to insert in the compartment something whichextends higher than the front wall 10 of the case it will still be possible to close the closure member by inserting the locking flap 38 in the upper horizontal slot 22, as is shown in FIG. 3. It will be noted that the closure member in FIG. 3 extends above its closed position shown in FIG. 4, yet in both instances the closure member is in a closed position to cover the compartment 20. The locking flap 38 may be readily removed from the slot by slipping same outwardly.

There is therefore provided in accordance with this invention, means for selecting the locking position of the closure member to thereby adjust the closure member to any of several adjusted closing positions. In effect, by the means shown herein the height of the closure member or cover 14 in closing position is selectively controlled to vary the capacity of the compartment 20. This feature is not obtainable in any of the prior art structures in which a locking flap is inserted in a strap extending across the front wall of the case, such as shown in Patent No. 3,023,793. With my invention the front wall of the case is not defaced by the addition of a strap extending across the front wall and thereby the smoothness and attractiveness of the front wall is maintained. If desired, additional horizontally extending slots may be provided.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A portfolio comprising, rectangular front and rear walls, interconnecting members between said walls, said front and rear walls defining a compartment having an opening, a closure member for said opening joined to the upper edge of said rear wall and terminating in a free edge, a horizontally extending slot integral with said front wall comprising a cutout portion in the material of said front wall approximately centrally thereof, a locking flap centrally positioned and attached to the inside of said closure member and having a free end thereof facing away from the free edge of the closure member and adapted to be inserted into said horizontal slot when said portfolio is closed, and means secured to the front wall rearwardly of the slot defining a pocket in which the flap is secured when inserted into said slot.

2. A structure defined in claim 1 in which the front Wall is provided with a plurality of spaced horizontally extending integrally formed slots and in which the locking flap may be inserted and secured in any of said horizontally extending slots.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,149,657 8/1915 Loft 22978 1,216,800 2/1917 Hart 229-77 3,023,793 3/1962 Commons 150-7 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PORTFOLIO COMPRISING, RECTANGULAR FRONT AND REAR WALLS, INTERCONNECTING MEMBERS BETWEEN SAID WALLS, SAID FRONT AND REAR DEFINING A COMPARTMENT HAVING AN OPENING, A CLOSURE MEMBER OF SAID OPENING JOINED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID REAR WALL AND TERMINATING IN A FREE EDGE, A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING SLOT INTERGAL WITH SAID FRONT WALL COMPRISING A CUTOUT PORTION IN THE MATERIAL OF SAID FRONT WALL APPROXIMATELY CENTRALLY THEREOF, A LOCKING FLAP CENTRALLY POSITONED AND ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE OF SAID 